Source: Gizmodo | 18 Nov 2009 | 7:40 pm

Microsoft, Salesforce.com Offer Social Tools - Wall Street Journal

ZDNet

Microsoft, Salesforce.com Offer Social Tools Wall Street Journal An unlikely software sector wants to get in on the social-networking act: business applications. On Wednesday, Microsoft Corp. and Salesforce.com Inc. became two of the most high-profile companies yet to retool ... UPDATE 2-Salesforce offers Chatter to companiesReuters Friending Marc BenioffAlibaba News Channel Salesforce retools its business-centric offerings with 'Chatter' softwareTopNews United States CNET News -InformationWeek -V3.co.uk all 139 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 18 Nov 2009 | 7:30 pm

Condé Nast will officially be Apple tablet ready in 2010, apparently without Apple’s help

Well done, Apple. You’ve finally done it. You’ve got the world bending the knee for a device they’ve never seen, and which you deny exists. Condé Nast has declared that Wired will be Apple tablet-compatible by mid-2010, although they admit that Apple hasn’t actually told them how they might go about doing that. While this isn’t exactly comparable to adjusting office doorway heights in case someone hires a Yeti, the parallels are clear.

Of course, it’s not so strange to want to streamline your product for tablet access. Make sure column flex doesn’t break the layout, don’t put critical links in rollover menus, that sort of thing. But if the Apple tablet is anywhere as interesting as people hope it will be, I doubt you’re going to be reading Wired in a browser anyway. Quixotic would be too kind a term for what they’re doing; not only are they tilting at windmills, but the windmills don’t officially exist.

Maybe that’s too harsh an estimation of Condé Nast’s effort. After all, the tablet may not officially exist, but it doesn’t officially not exist either. And we’re pretty sure it does, so that settles it. Whatever the case, it seems unlikely that anything they do now will be relevant to Apple’s new platform. It’s been said that it runs iPhone OS, that’s it’s this big and uses that processor, but as a content provider the only thing you need to know is it’s Apple. That means they’re going to have complete control of it from the bottom up; they hold all the keys and if they’re not letting you in, you may as well wait. A damn-the-torpedoes approach is the wrong one here.

Apple’s not really the only target of this initiative, though. HP has released some tablet specs that Condé Nast is working with, and an Adobe Air-based platform for magazine-type media is in the offing as well. A real magazine-style layout with embedded videos (and ads of course) is the goal, but it’s whispered that the NY Times is working with Apple on just that sort of thing. You better believe they’ve got their own framework set up, with the NYT perhaps advising, and of course Apple will force content creators to fit in that box. It’s a “something stirs in Mordor” situation: whatever you do to prepare can’t possibly be enough (that is, if the tablet lives up to the rumors). All you can do is rely on a plucky hobbit. I don’t know how Frodo is represented in this Apple-Condé thing, though. Note to self: avoid fantasy metaphors.

Here’s another snag in Condé’s plan, not Apple-specific but Apple-applicable:

The company intends to charge readers for each title, and it plans to convince the Audit Bureau of Circulations, the magazine industry’s standards board, that its online sales are equivalent to newsstand sales. That will allow Condé to charge advertisers the same rate as for print ads.

If Condé Nast thinks they will be able to charge $4, or whatever a Wired costs these days, to have a digital copy all wrapped up in Adobe, HP, Amazon, or Apple’s DRM, they’re going to have a disappointing launch. And although I suppose if consumers did manage to stomach paper prices for pixel periodicals, you might be able to convince advertisers to pay similar rates for ads. But the premise is unlikely, so the conclusion is even more so. As I’ve said, advertising is changing, and Condé Nast (along with many others) must adapt or die. Those really are the only two options.

In all likelihood, we will indeed be paying good money for virtual Condé Nast publications in a couple years. After all, if we don’t, the poor fellows will go out of business. But I think prices for subscriptions will likely stabilize far below what we’re paying for 12 glossies. Think 99 cents an issue. Sorry guys, but that’s probably what it’ll take.

But I’m making a big deal out of very little. Condé Nast wants to jump the gun a bit, okay, I admire their moxie. In the end, this rather depends on whether the Apple tablet is a revolutionary device or merely a sexy one. Sexy devices sell because they do what other devices do better; that’s the iPod. Revolutionary devices sell because they do something entirely new; that’s the iPhone. I’ll be happy with either one, personally — as long as it doesn’t use iFrame.

Source: CrunchGear | 18 Nov 2009 | 7:20 pm

Comics about video blogs. Dr. Horrible hits shelves today.

Comic books seem to be quite the staple in the Whedonverse bag of tricks. Buffy comes to an end? Comic books. Firefly gets cancelled? Serenity just isn’t enough? Comic books. Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is done? Bam. Comic Books. Today is no exception, as the prequel to Dr. Horrible went on sale in full-color glory.

If you were looking for some origin story on the Dr. Horrible / Capt. Hammer feud, you’ve probably already read the three digital prequels Zack Whedon did. If not, you can still find them on the Dark Horse Comics myspace page. This one however, is the first physical version released, so go get your copy anywhere that retails Bad Horse Dark Horse comics. This one-shot issue will set you back $3.50, but its oh so worth it.

Source: CrunchGear | 18 Nov 2009 | 7:10 pm

AT&T Awarded Hug and a Box of Tissues in Verizon Ad Case [Digital Daily]

“AT&T did not file this lawsuit because Verizon’s ‘There’s A Map For That advertisements are untrue; AT&T sued because Verizon’s ads are true and the truth hurts.”

– Excerpt from Verizon’s response to AT&T’s complaints about its new ad campaign

Verizon was right. The truth does hurt. And it is especially painful when it’s meted out by a court of law. A U.S. District judge on Wednesday denied AT&T’s request to force Verizon to pull its “There’s A Map For That” and “Island of Misfit Toys” commercials, saying that while the ads might be “sneaky,” they are “literally true.”

“People might misunderstand [Verizon’s commercials],” said U.S. District Judge Timothy Batten, “but that doesn’t mean they’re misleading.”

He gave AT&T (T) another chance to make its case at a Dec. 16 hearing, but given his dim initial view of the company’s complaint, the carrier seems unlikely to prevail.

AT&T plans to press on with the case anyway. “While we are disappointed with the court’s decision on our request for a temporary restraining order, we still feel strongly that Verizon’s ads mislead consumers into thinking that AT&T doesn’t offer wireless service in large portions of the country, which is clearly not the case,” AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel said in an email. “We look forward to presenting our case to the court in the near future.”

In the meantime, AT&T has begun running some attack ads of its own. Sadly, the first effort is not nearly so clever as Verizon’s (VZ) and features far too much Luke Wilson and far too little humor.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Verizon to AT&T: Do Yourself a Favor and Shut Up
• Frosty’s Winter Litigation Wonderland: AT&T Demands Verizon Pull Holiday iPhone Ads [With Full Complaint]
• Verizon Banishes iPhone to Island of Misfit Toys
• Verizon on AT&T Suit: There’s a Word for That. “Junk.”
• Verizon to iPhone Users: “Want Five Times More 3G Coverage? There’s a Map for That.”

Source: All Things Digital | 18 Nov 2009 | 7:07 pm

Cyborg Beetles Employed as Military Weapons

By implanting miniature neural and muscle stimulation systems into beetles, scientists for the first time have been able to control the flight of insects. (Electrodes are implanted at the pupal stage and then later connected to remote control electronics.) They ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 18 Nov 2009 | 7:00 pm

Office 2010 beta open to the public

Section: Computers, Software / Applications

With Windows 7 now out in the wild for almost a month, Microsoft has time to unleash another beta product on us for testing.  This beta comes in the form of Microsoft Office 2010.  The Office 2010 beta will feature everything minus the online version, which is currently being tested within Microsoft.

Somewhat surprising for a public beta, the Office 2010 beta offers everything in the office suite.  So it has Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Outlook and all those other programs most people don’t know how to use like OneNote, Access and Publisher.  Office 2010 apps still feature the “ribbon” UI found in Office 2007, but it has been changed somewhat.  In terms of entirely new features, Outlook will be able to be linked to social networking sites.  First offered is Windows Live (obviously), and LinkedIn will be added sometime early next year.  There is also the aforementioned online version, which will be paired with the new SkyDrive feature to give users 25 GB to store and sync their office documents.

Office 2010 is said to have improved interaction with Windows 7 and its taskbar, which makes sense.  That doesn’t mean other users can’t download the beta, it’s free for anyone using Windows XP SP3 and later.  With the forthcoming Starter edition which is said to be free for new computers, maybe Microsoft will be able to increase usage of the newest version of Office.  Outside of a work environment, or after buying a new PC, users seem to not upgrade their office suite very often.  For example, the .docx file format still hasn’t really achieved full support from users, with some just ending up confused.  The new features do seem interesting, hopefully Microsoft will add them to the Mac OS X releases soon as well.

Read [CNet News]
Read [Microsoft]

Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 18 Nov 2009 | 6:45 pm

Last Minute New York Meet-Up: A bit of Holiday Cheer with Cali Lewis and CrunchGear

Sorry for the short notice but I thought it might be fun to toast to Turkey Day and the launch of our our Gift Guide.

I’m teaming up with Cali Lewis of GeekBrief.TV for an impromptu CG meet-up in New York. We’ll be meeting at 7pm Friday at Heartland Brewery, 35 Union Square West, in Manhattan. We should be able to commandeer the back of the pub for our purposes.

I’ll be there with a Droid and the HTC HD2 if you guys want to take a gander and we can grab a brew before we all head out to points home for Thanksgiving. RSVP with a comment below so we can judge the turnout.

Source: CrunchGear | 18 Nov 2009 | 6:38 pm

SFPD cops from imaginary anti-dance-party squad steal laptops

Autumn sez, "DJs at local underground parties have been losing their laptops to police raids - even when they're not DJing. They're being told that they'll lose their laptops - and often their livelihood - for an indefinite period of time, with no information on when or how to get their property back. The EFF has taken on the defense of several local DJs, but this is having a huge effect already on the local dance scene."

Over the past six months, music fans who have been spinning records -- or even just attending friends' events -- claim their laptops, soundboards, and mixers have been taken by the cops in police raids. The busted gatherings include an illegal dance party, an artist fundraiser, and a private Halloween bash. While it's unclear whether the lack of official permits was enough reason to close down all these parties, the bigger question is why the police are seizing and holding private property that DJs and attendees use as valuable tools for making their art and living.

Mike Holmes, aka DJ White Mike, was a recent victim of an SFPD sweep. On Halloween night, he DJed at the Beauty Bar and then hit a friend's costume party at a SOMA loft. He stored his bag, which held his laptop, in the DJ booth to prevent it from getting swiped. Ten minutes later, around 2:30 a.m., he says the police arrived and announced that they were taking all the laptops in the warehouse space. "I tried to explain that I wasn't even playing at the party," he says. Nonetheless, his computer was seized by a cop who identified himself as part of a "task force," who told him that he shouldn't expect to get his laptop back "for at least three months." Other DJs at the party claim to have received similar warnings -- as well as threats of jail time, if they were seen DJing at warehouses again -- from officers who said they were part of a task force.(The SFPD claims it does not have a specific task force looking at underground parties, but it does routine checks in the SOMA area, sometimes with other agencies such as the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, for permit and other violations.)

S.F. cops may have gone too far in seizing DJ gear at underground parties

Stop the War on Fun

(Thanks, Autumn!)

Source: Boing Boing | 18 Nov 2009 | 6:36 pm

Appletell reviews Shortcovers eBook reader for iPhone, iPod Touch

FROM APPLETELL - Shortcovers has a great selection of eBooks available in their store, and numerous ways to consume that media. I would almost describe it as the Audible of eBooks.
MORE »

Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 18 Nov 2009 | 6:30 pm

Smart Grid Could Pose Threat To Privacy

Presto Vivace writes "Brian Krebs of the Washington Post reports on a study jointly released Tuesday by the Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner and the Future of Privacy Forum. It seems that in the process of collecting all that feedback about energy use, utility companies will inevitably collect a great deal of information about us. From the article: 'Instead of measuring energy use at the end of each billing period, smart meters will provide this information at much shorter intervals, the report notes. Even if electricity use is not recorded minute by minute, or at the appliance level, information may be gleaned from ongoing monitoring of electricity consumption such as the approximate number of occupants, when they are present, as well as when they are awake or asleep. For many, this will resonate as a "sanctity of the home" issue, where such intimate details of daily life should not be accessible.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 18 Nov 2009 | 6:26 pm

$50k novel advance == "almost qualify for foodstamps"

"If I published only one book a year, and it did as well as this one, my net would be only around $2500.00 over the income level considered to be the US poverty threshhold," writes a bestselling author. The math: $50k advance, half of it lost to agent and other costs, and even bestseller royalties don't immediately cover the advance to create a return. But ... what if one wrote two books in a year?


Source: Boing Boing | 18 Nov 2009 | 6:20 pm

Sony says e-readers in demand, shipments delayed - Reuters

The Money Times

Sony says e-readers in demand, shipments delayed Reuters SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Sony Corp said on Wednesday that early demand for its latest electronic reader was higher than expected in advance of the holidays and shipment delays could result. A Sony spokesman said the $399 e-book reader, ... Some Sony E-readers May Not Arrive for the HolidaysPC World Sony Says Some E-Reader Orders May Miss ChristmasWall Street Journal Sony's Daily Edition eReader Shipment DelayedThe Money Times PC Magazine -ZDNet (blog) -The Associated Press all 213 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 18 Nov 2009 | 6:20 pm

T-Mobile suffers yet another black eye thanks to data breach

Section: Communications, Cellular Providers

If T-Mobile is trying to drive themselves out of business they are doing a pretty good job. First there was the great Sidekick Nightmare, which caused most U.S. users of the device to lose their data and the company to temporarily halt sales, and then a few weeks ago T-Mobile customers had to contend with an outage that left them unable to make calls or send text messages.  Now it gets even worse.

The company is now reporting that it has discovered a data breach at its U.K. headquarters.  Staff there was caught selling customers’ personal information to numerous third parties.  Those parties then approached customers who were soon to be out of contract with sales pitches for other carriers.  T-Mobile said this was done without its knowledge and that those responsible will be prosecuted.

T-Mobile, which recently announced plans to merge with fellow U.K. provider Orange, seems to be a company totally out of control.  The constant service issues, and the severity of them, paired with this latest news, have left them with a very black eye that won’t soon heal.  Their advertising and P.R. people have their work cut out for them!

Read [PC World]

Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 18 Nov 2009 | 6:06 pm

Maricopa deputy steals defender's paperwork during a court case

Tom sends us video of a Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputy named Adam Stoddard stealing a public defender's paperwork, during a court proceeding, in front of the court's security camera. Tom adds, "The local news clip is really worth seeing, if only for the reporter's incredulous lead-in: 'The Maricopa County Sheriff's office backing one of its deputies after he takes away a lawyer's paperwork in court.' If you live in Arizona you're subject to the daily outrage from Sheriff Joe Arpaio. It's a bit like Philadelphia during the Rizzo years."

The deputy claims he wasn't stealing the paper, he was searching it for contraband. H's been found in contempt of court, and the judge has ordered him to apologize:

Those conditions are:

1) On or before November 30th, 2009, at a time convenient for Ms. Cuccia, a news conference to take place in the plaza on the north side of the central court building where he is to give Ms. Cuccia a sincere verbal and written apology for invading her defense file and for the damage that his conduct may have caused to her professional reputation.

2) If at the news conference, Ms. Cuccia does not state that the apology is sufficient, Stoddard will report to the jail on December 1, 2009 and be detained until further order upon a finding that he has complied with the purge clause.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio responded to the ruling early Wednesday, saying Superior Court judges do not order his staff to hold press conferences.

MCSO officer who took lawyer's paperwork might go to jail (Thanks, Tom!)

Update: Dan Gillmor points out that the Heat City blog has done great work on this, breaking the story.

Source: Boing Boing | 18 Nov 2009 | 5:48 pm

Guns 'n Gardens - How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse

This is a great idea -- a show about useful DIY skills, set in a zombie apocalypse context. It reminds me a bit of Max Brooks marvelously deadpan Zombie Survival Guide.

Guns 'n Gardens


Source: Boing Boing | 18 Nov 2009 | 5:45 pm

Five Best Features in the Office 2010 Beta (PC World)

PC World - Microsoft has unleashed the public beta of Microsoft Office 2010. The Office 2010 beta includes updated versions of Word, excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access, Publisher, InfoPath, SharePoint Workspace, and Communicator. You can download it right now from the Microsoft Office 2010 beta site.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 18 Nov 2009 | 5:44 pm

Sony Reader Daily Edition now available for pre-order

Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks

Sony has just added the Reader Daily Edition to the available category, well a little more specifically, the available for pre-order category. That said though, there are not many more details than what we first learned back in late-August.

But just as a refresher, the Reader Daily Edition will sell for $399.99 and is expected to begin shipping sometime in December. Feature wise the Reader Daily Edition will offer a full-touchscreen 7-inch display and an aluminum exterior casing.

This model will also feature built-in 3G (tied to the AT&T network) and be able to offer users on the go access to the Sony eBookstore as well as newspaper and magazine content. Of course, the newspaper and magazines have not yet been finalized and will be “unveiled within the next month.”

Read [Sony]

 

 

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 18 Nov 2009 | 5:32 pm

N.A.S.A. feat. Tom Waits + Kool Keith: "Spacious Thoughts"

Watch video: Download MP4, YouTube, subtitles at Dotsub.

Boing Boing Video proudly debuts a new piece from the "great god almighty could it get any more awesome?" N.A.S.A. music project, this one from two personal music heroes: Tom Waits, and Kool Keith. The track is called Spacious Thoughts, and you can pick it up on the project's debut album, Spirit of Apollo (Amazon link.)

NASA, short for "North America South America," is a music collaboration project assembled by Squeak E. Clean (aka Sam Spiegel, brother of film director Spike Jonze) and DJ Zegon (Ze Gonzales, professional skateboarder).

The music video embedded above was created by Montreal-based Fluorescent Hill, and I asked collaborators Mark Lomond and Johanne Ste-Marie a few questions about how all that crazy magic came together. Below, and after the jump, are their replies.

BB: Tell me a little about Fluorescent Hill? Who are you guys, where are you, what do you do?

Fluorescent Hill: Well, we're a very small collective of artists, basically myself (mark lomond) and johanne ste-marie. we started working together while in school here in Montreal, along with some other friends. So we've been together for almost eight years. We do design, illustration, animation, live action, basically anything artistic, but with a primary focus on film.

BB: How did the NASA video project come together, and what were your first thoughts when you learned what track and what musical artists would be involved?

Fluorescent Hill: We got an email one day describing the entire NASA project, the musicians involved the visual artists involved and it just blew our minds. As soon as I saw the list of musicians, deep in my brain I already was hoping to work on the Kool Keith and Tom Waits collab. They're two artists that I go way back to my early tape buying days with. So when we finally got on the phone, and they said it was this track "Spacious Thoughts" a small peice of my brain exploded. Then when they sent the track I was absolutely just ecstatic.

Then came the realisation that our work would be seen by such artists as Marcel Dzama, Syd Garon, Barry McGee, Shepard Fairey, etc.. and panic set in. So we had to step it up in every way.

BB: Can you tell us a little about the characters we see in the video? I love the anthropomorphization of Tom Waits' voice -- it's as if the very sound of his voice, not Waits as a person, is being brought to life. Same thing with the bouncing, spherical ball critter. How did these beings take form?

Fluorescent Hill: Well the characters went through a couple stages of redesign. At first he was more of a giant oninon, and then cleaned up into a drop of oil. We initially were going to do the character in 2D and the backgrounds would be 3D. But then we just flipped everything 180 degrees as a challenge to ourselves, because we had never really done a fully animated 3d character and it would force us to rethink how we approach everything.

Also the challenge of going from 2d drawing to realizing it in 3d changed the overall design adding more to it and streamlinig other aspects. We also wanted both Tom Waits Oil Drop/Bouncing Ball character and Kool Keiths' to essentially be the same in design but different in movement and colour, like different aspects or personalities of the same person.

The giant Cloud in the chorus was the first thing we came up with. We felt the chorus had to be big, and Waits' voice is just so huge you just have to go with something towering over the rest of the video, and in this case the city....which ended up working out really well for the lyrics in that section. Also we didn't want to do caricatures of the singers, it had been done before with waits, I believe Ralph Bakshi had anmiated/rotoscoped him, so to try and just get at the quick pop of Kool Keith and the growl and bark of Tom Waits.

BB: How did the project progress, how long did it take? Can you talk us
through a little of the "making of"?

Fluorescent Hill: For the video we tried to mix as many mediums as possible. We had access
to the shipping docks here in Montreal and so we went down and
photographed all the nooks and crannies, then made collages out of th
photos, then redrew the collages. The character animation took a
long time,one because we had never done 3d before, and two because it's
just the two of us. OUr friend and frequent collaborator
Jacques Khouri modeled and rigged the character, he's a wizard.... and
also teaches at Savannagh college of art and design.
The cloud character is made up of so many things it'd be pretty hard to
explain 3d 2d vector hand drawn particle etc.
you name it, we did it.

This was the longest production we've ever done.

BB: What do you love most, and hate most, about animation?

Fluorescent Hill: I love everything about animation, sounds cheezy, but it's true. You can
really do everything you can think of and more. The only thing we hate
is the amount of time it takes, but i guess if we had more people it would
go faster, but we like the control we have over every frame.

BB: Favorite part of this project?

Fluorescent Hill: Our absolute favourite part is the mix of the music and visual. We think
it's a really fun mix, and hope people get some enjoyment out of it
and will want to watch it over and over again.

(Special thanks to Susan Applegate and Syd Garon)

Source: Boing Boing | 18 Nov 2009 | 5:28 pm

IBM computer brain simulation as complex as a cat's

I recently posted about IBM's Big Blue supercomputer built to simulate a human brain. IBM now reports that they've used a supercomputer to simulate a brain that exceeds that of a cat's in complexity and scale, in near real-time. I, for one, welcome our new feline A.I. overlords.

From the San Jose Mercury News:

The simulation... did not exactly mimic what a real cat does in catching a mouse. But it surpassed earlier efforts that simulated the much simpler brain structure of a creature the size of a mouse.

Researchers used an IBM supercomputer at the Lawrence Livermore Lab to model the movement of data through a structure with 1 billion neurons and 10 trillion synapses, which allowed them to see how information "percolates" through a system that's comparable to a feline cerebral cortex...

The work is part of a federally funded effort to study what's known as cognitive computing, starting with what IBM project manager Dharmendra Modha calls "reverse-engineering the human brain," or designing a new computer by first getting a better understanding of how the brain works.

"The brain is amazing," said Modha, a computer scientist who can wax poetic about the capabilities of human gray matter. "The brain has awe-inspiring capabilities. It can react or interact with complex, real-world environments, in a context-dependent way. And yet it consumes less power than a light bulb and it occupies less space than a two-liter bottle of soda."

"IBM announces advances toward a computer that works like a human brain" (San Jose Mercury News)

"IBM Moves Closer To Creating Computer Based on Insights From The Brain" (IBM) (Thanks, Chris Arkenberg!)

Source: Boing Boing | 18 Nov 2009 | 5:28 pm

Video of artist Chris Piascik at work

A lovely video of Chris Piascik at work. "Chris explains that these doodles start with him randomly scribbling out a loopy pattern and then filling it in."

Watch Chris Piascik draw


Source: Boing Boing | 18 Nov 2009 | 5:28 pm

Judges Denies at&t's Request To Halt Verizon Ads - ChannelWeb

PC World

Judges Denies at&t's Request To Halt Verizon Ads ChannelWeb AT&T may hate Verizon Wireless' 3G advertising, but the company will have to deal with it now that AT&T's quest to have the ads taken off the air has been thrown out of court. US District Judge Timothy Batten denied AT&T's ... AT&T faces setback in legal battle over Verizon ads [u]Apple Insider AT&T Suffers Setback in Lawsuit Against VerizonThe Money Times AT&T Airs Weak 'Comeback' Commercial Against VerizonInformationWeek The Associated Press -VentureBeat -DailyTech all 456 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 18 Nov 2009 | 5:19 pm

Entrepreneur Builds 'Buy My Moms House' Site to Keep Mom's Missouri House From Foreclosure

PASADENA HILLS, Mo., Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- A California entrepreneur has put up a Web portal called "Buy My Mom's House" (BuyMyMomsHouse.com) to help sell his Mom's house in Pasadena Hills (St.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 18 Nov 2009 | 5:13 pm

Webby Awards name top 10 Internet moments of the decade (AFP)

AFP - The birth of Wikipedia, the death of Napster, the iPhone, Facebook, and Twitter were named by the Webby Awards on Wednesday as among the top 10 Internet moments of the decade.

Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 18 Nov 2009 | 5:09 pm

Tracking the World's Great Unsolved Math Mysteries

coondoggie writes "Some math problems are as old as the wind, experts say, and many remain truly unsolved. But a new open source-based site from the American Institute of Mathematics looks to help track work done and solve long-standing and difficult math problems. The Institute, along with the National Science Foundation, has opened the AIM Problem Lists site to offer an organized and annotated collection of unsolved problems, and previously unsolved problems, in a specialized area of mathematics research. The problem list provides a snapshot of the current state of research in a particular research area, letting experts track new developments, and newcomers gain a perspective on the subject."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 18 Nov 2009 | 5:06 pm

Nomadix Initiates Lawsuit to Enforce Its Network Gateway Patents

NEWBURY PARK, Calif., Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Nomadix, Inc. (www.Nomadix.com), the leading provider of network gateway devices, has filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 18 Nov 2009 | 5:00 pm

Identify an E-Mail Phishing Scam

The internet can seem like a post-apocalyptic wasteland, riddled with crime and ambushes. Not so if you gain some street smarts and learn to spot phishing schemes at a glance.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 18 Nov 2009 | 5:00 pm

Palin Calls E-Mail Hack 'Most Disruptive' Campaign Event

In her new book, former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin calls the hack of her private e-mail account last year "the most disruptive" event of the campaign. She describes first learning about the intrusion and her reaction to it.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 18 Nov 2009 | 4:51 pm

Jacques Vallee on Boing Boing

I'm delighted to introduce a new occasional guest blogger on Boing Boing, Dr. Jacques Vallee, who will contribute posts every so often. In the world of computer science, Jacques is best known for his pioneering database research in the 1960s at Stanford Research Institute and then, during the next decade, for leading the development of the the world's first network-based computer conferencing system for the ARPANET. He launched that project, called PLANET, in 1972 at Institute for the Future (IFTF), the non-profit thinktank where I'm a researcher. At IFTF, Jacques and his colleagues studied the social impact of online communication and explored its applications in industry. In 1976, Jacques founded InfoMedia, the first computer conferencing and groupware company. I met Jacques in person several years ago when he popped into IFTF for a visit. It was quite exciting for me as I was quite familiar with his work, albeit in a very, very different context.

For nearly fifty years, Jacques has studied the history and culture of the UFO phenomena and written a slew of fantastic books on the subject, always calling for a scientific investigation of reports rather than an approach rooted in belief. Among ufologists, Jacques is very much a "heretic among heretics" for opposing the typical opinion that UFOs are nuts-and-bolts spaceships piloted by extraterrestrials. Jacques once said, "I'll be disappointed if (UFOs) turn out to be only spacecraft from outer space." Whenever I see the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, I get a kick out of François Truffaut's character Claude Lacombe insisting that the UFO phenomenon "is an event sociologique!" That is exactly something Jacques would say, and indeed Steven Spielberg based the character on him. My favorites of Jacques' books are Passport to Magonia: From Folklore to Flying Saucers, Messengers of Deception, and The Invisible College, where he considers whether we're living inside an information-based control system, a mind-spinning idea that's now embraced by many physicists.

Recently, Jacques published the second volume of his personal journals, titled Forbidden Science, and is now completing a new book about ancient UFO sightings. He also works as a partner in a venture capital firm investing in emerging technologies with potential space applications. Jacques's intellectual rigor around anomalous phenomena and weird science has inspired me since I was a teenager. I'm thrilled to have his voice on Boing Boing.


Source: Boing Boing | 18 Nov 2009 | 4:44 pm

Hey Apple, Google, et al.: Why Do You Hate Christmas?

As the TechCrunch Network’s resident mobile guy, I was given the task of writing up a list of apps for each smartphone platform that you ought to buy as little e-stocking stuffers for your loved ones. It was to be my primary contribution to CrunchGear’s ultra-amazing Holiday Gift Guide; my festively themed magnum opus.

But there’s a problem with this idea: it can’t be done. It’s not because I’m lazy (which may be true), nor because I don’t have any apps to recommend (which most certainly is not). I can’t recommend apps for you to buy for others, because you can’t buy apps for others.

Be it the Apple App Store, Android Market, Palm App Catalog, or BlackBerry App World, it’s bah-humbugs all around. The App Store is the only one that even gets close, allowing you to buy gift cards. Whilst many a geek would likely prefer the gift cards, there’s a big chunk of the world that equates giving a gift card to handing someone a piece of paper that reads “I didn’t really put much thought into this. Merry Christmas!”

Apple seems to be the one who could address this with the least effort, by making use of their redeemable promo code system. Currently reserved for dishing out promo copies of applications and claiming gift cards purchased online, it doesn’t seem like it would be insurmountably difficult to adapt for these purposes. Let people build “gift packs” of apps for friends (which would be much less difficult if Apple hadn’t done away with the Shopping Cart in iTunes 9), pay for them up front, and then generate a promo code which can be sent to the gift recipient. The recipient won’t know what they’re getting until the promo code is redeemed, making it about as close to opening a meatspace present as you get in the virtual world. Apple has a gifting setup in place for just about everything on iTunes besides apps.

BlackBerry and Palm aren’t too far behind – though they don’t have a code redemption system set up, they do offer up their entire app catalog online for perusal by anyone without a compatible handset. Android lacks both a redemption system and an off-handset catalog (outside of the few hundred apps they feature on the Market site). The closest bet you’ve got for any of these three would be PayPal’ing your buddy a few bucks with a list of Apps – but at that point, why bother?

It scares me to think about how much potential revenue is being thrown away here by ignoring would-be gift givers. In a time when many are cutting back their shopping lists to their family and closest of friends, the friendly pricing of apps makes them a perfectly opportune way to say “Hey, I still think you’re great”. No wrapping or shipping required.

Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it’s time for you to find a new Job2.0

Source: MobileCrunch | 18 Nov 2009 | 4:39 pm

Video game deals in Kmart’s Thanksgiving 2009 sale ad

FROM GAMERTELL - The Kmart Thanksgiving 2009 sale ad has been leaked onto the internet. While there are no doorbusters, you can get $25 gaming coupons if you buy a PSP or Wii. There are quite a few games on sale.
MORE »

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Source: Gadgetell | 18 Nov 2009 | 4:30 pm

McRae Industries, Inc. Reports Earnings for Fiscal 2009

MOUNT GILEAD, N.C., Nov. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- McRae Industries, Inc. (Pink Sheets: MRINA and MRINB) reported consolidated net revenues for fiscal 2009 of $62,213,000 as compared to $80,021,000 for fiscal 2008. The net loss for fiscal 2009 totaled ($514,000).
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 18 Nov 2009 | 4:10 pm

Chicago's Camera Network Is Everywhere

DesScorp writes "Over the past few years, the City of Chicago has installed video cameras all over the city. Now the Wall Street Journal reports that the city has not only installed its own cameras for law enforcement purposes, but with the aid of IBM, has built a network that possibly links thousands of video surveillance cameras all over Chicago. Possibly, because the city refuses to confirm just how many cameras are in the network. Critics say that Chicago is becoming the city of Big Brother. 'The city links the 1,500 cameras that police have placed in trouble spots with thousands more—police won't say how many—that have been installed by other government agencies and the private sector in city buses, businesses, public schools, subway stations, housing projects and elsewhere. Even home owners can contribute camera feeds. Rajiv Shah, an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago who has studied the issue, estimates that 15,000 cameras have been connected in what the city calls Operation Virtual Shield, its fiber-optic video-network loop.' There are so many camera feeds coming in that police and officials can't monitor them all, but when alerted to a situation, can zoom in on the area affected. The ACLU has requested a total number of video feeds and cameras, but as of yet, this information has not been supplied."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 18 Nov 2009 | 4:04 pm

Yamaha's MusicCast2 Fills a Whole House With Tunes

Sync up with your existing home wireless network and groove from room to room with Yamaha's MusicCast2 Audio System, which pulls track data from ID3 tags and plays internet radio.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 18 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

Hollywood Domes: L.A. Accessorizes With Geodesic Treehouses

Plain ol' treehouses are cool already. How about a $20,000 geodesic one, like the kind arboreal architect Dustin Feider has been installing around LA?

Source: Wired Top Stories | 18 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

Yamaha's MusicCast2 Fills a Whole House With Tunes

Sync up with your existing home wireless network and groove from room to room with Yamaha's MusicCast2 Audio System, which pulls track data from ID3 tags and plays internet radio.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 18 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

Holiday Shopping Safety Tips From Universal Services of America

SANTA ANA, Calif., Nov.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 18 Nov 2009 | 3:24 pm

Library workers fired for colluding to keep graphic novel from being checked out by 11-year old girl

Two workers at a Lexington, Kentucky public library were fired after it was discovered that they had teamed up to keep a copy of Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier out of circulation.

According to the story, Sharon Cook, 57 and Barbara Boisvert, 62, basically colluded to keep the book out of circulation -- Cook, who had become disturbed by the book's imagery, checked it out for a year, meaning no one else could check it out. However, when an 11-year-old girl put it on hold, Cook was unable to continue her delaying tactic -- and Boisvert stepped in, removing the hold, and keeping the book out of circulation.

Both were fired for their actions. The Jessamine County Public Library has not commented on what they call a personnel matter.

Cook seems to have some kind of obsession with the book -- she's still carrying it around in her knapsack, the dirty parts marked with Post-Its. This, despite what she describes as her mortal danger when reading the book:


"People prayed over me while I was reading it because I did not want those images in my head," she says.

Alan Moore, destroyer of library workers

Technorati Tags: Comics

Source: Boing Boing | 18 Nov 2009 | 3:19 pm

Black Friday 2009: Score a $78 Blu-ray player (and more) from Walmart

Section: Video, DVD/DVR/Blu-ray, Communications, Cellphones, Computers, Mobile Computers, Laptops, Gadgets / Other

We have seen a few good deals coming from Walmart including the $30 Pixi and the BlackBerry offers. Not to mention the sales on video games. But after digging through the leaked sales flyer for Black Friday, we now have a complete list of nice prices—including a Blu-ray player for $78. Of course this is a lower end model, its the Magnavox NB500 and it normally retails for $129, but still $78.

Anyway, in addition to the low-priced Blu-ray player, Walmart also has a good selection of HDTV’s, computers, digital cameras, GPS units. Here is a quick rundown of some of the deals that can be found, but the full list can be found by hitting the ‘read’ link below.

DVD Players

• Magnavox NB500 Blu-ray Disc Player - $78.00
• Samsung BD-P1590 Blu Ray Player (Saturday) - $148.00
• Sony BDP-S369 Blu Ray Player - $148.00

Televisions

• Emerson 32” LC320EMFX LCD 720P HDTV - $248.00
• Emerson 42” PL-P42W-10A Plasma 720P HDTV - $448.00
• Flat-Panel TV Stand - $89.00
• Philips Large Fixed TV Mount - $69.00
• RCA 46” LCD 1080p HDTV (Online Only) - $688.00
• Samsung 32” LN32B360 LCD 720P HDTV (Saturday) - $398.00
• Samsung 42” LN40B500 LCD 1080P HDTV (Saturday) - $598.00
• Samsung 42” PN42B400 Plasma 720P HDTV (Saturday) - $548.00
• Samsung 46” LN46B500 LCD 1080P HDTV (Saturday) - $848.00
• Samsung 50” PN50B400 Plasma 720P HDTV (Saturday) - $698.00
• Sansui 19” HDLCD1909 LCD HDTV - $128.00
• Sayno 50” DP50719 Plasma HDTV - $598.00
• Sony Bravia 32” KDL32L504 LCD 720P HDTV - $378.00
• Sony Bravia 40” KDL40S504 LCD 1080P HDTV - $598.00
• Sony Bravia 46” KDL465504 LCD 1080P HDTV - $798.00

Computers

• Acer 17.3” Blue Laptop w/4GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive and Windows 7 Premium (Online Only) - $498.00
• eMachines 15.6” Notebook w/AMD Processor, 2GB Memory, 160GB Hard Drive (Model # EME627) - $198.00
• HP 15.6” Notebook w/Intel Processor, 3GB Memory, 250GB Hard Drive (Model # G60-519WM) - $298.00
• HP 17” Notebook w/4GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive (Model # G71-329WM) - $398.00
• HP Pavilion All-In-One 19” Desktop w/4GB Memory, 500GB Hard Drive, MS213 AMD - $598.00
• HP Pavilion Desktop w/AMD Processor, 3GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive, w/20” Monitor (Model # P6243w-b) - $398.00

Digital Cameras

• Kodak C182 12.0 Megapixel Digital Camera - $69.00
• Nikon CoolPix S230 10MP Digital Camera - $139.00
• Sony Cyber-Shot DSC S930 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera - $79.00

GPS

• TomTom One 125-SE GPS - $59.00
• TomTom XL325-SE GPS - $89.00

Read [BlackFriday.info]  Via [Gizmodo]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 18 Nov 2009 | 3:18 pm

US Government Using PS3s To Break Encryption

Entropy98 writes "It seems that the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Cyber Crimes Center, known as C3, has replaced its '$8,000 Tableau/Dell server combination' with more efficient and much cheaper $300 PS3s. Each PS3 is capable of 4 million passwords per second, and C3 currently has 20 PS3s with plans to buy 40 more. Naturally this is only being used to break encryption on computers seized with a warrant and suspected of harboring child pornography."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 18 Nov 2009 | 3:16 pm

Opinionated Mama - A New Voice for America's Moms in the Country's Most Important Conversations

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., Nov.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 18 Nov 2009 | 3:16 pm

ID Error Leaves Fish at Edge of Extinction

A simple classification error more than 80 years ago pushes the flapper skate to near extinction before anyone even notices.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 18 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm

Google Phone Is ‘Very Real,’ Says TechCrunch

Google has already delivered its own mobile operating system Android to several smartphone manufacturers. But the search giant isn’t stopping there, says TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington. The blogger claims with absolute confidence that Google is making its own smartphone hardware.

“Everything up until now has just been a warm up to the Google phone,” Arrington wrote in his blog post.

Arrington claims he has “absolutely confirmed” that Google is building a Google-branded phone to be sold through retailers sometime early 2010.

Really? Just two weeks ago Andy Rubin, head of Google’s Android development, made it crystal clear that Google is not making a phone.

“We’re not making hardware,” Rubin told CNET. “We’re enabling other people to build hardware.”

So who’s telling the truth? Arrington’s claim echoes a previous rumor report from TheStreet’s Scott Moritz, who has a notoriously spotty track record when it comes to tech rumors. (For example, in May, Moritz wrote a story titled “Tech Rumor of the Day: Apple,” which quoted an analyst who predicted AT&T would reduce prices for the iPhone’s monthly service plan. Not only did that not turn out to be true; it wasn’t a rumor at all — just a prediction from an analyst.)

Daring Fireball’s John Gruber brings up a valid point: If Google pulled off such a stunt, the search giant would likely infuriate telecom partners who have agreed to put Android on their smartphones. We agree with the assessment that a Google-branded phone would probably be an unwise move for Google.

See Also:

• Google’s Open Source Android OS Will Free the Wireless Web
• Google Poised to Become Your Phone Company
• Android Army Pumped for All-Out Attack on iPhone
• Android’s Rapid Growth Has Some Developers Worried

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 18 Nov 2009 | 2:57 pm

Bureau of Collection Recovery Completes SAS 70 Type II Audit

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., Nov.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 18 Nov 2009 | 2:56 pm

Latest Firefox Beta Makes Security Gains, Drops Windows 7 Tricks

Firefox 3.6 Beta 3 has arrived, and we've taken it for a spin. Windows 7 users lose a few features that showed up in previous betas, but everyone gains some important security updates and stability improvements.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 18 Nov 2009 | 2:56 pm

California Says Goodbye to Power-Hungry HDTVs

California’s Energy Commission voted unanimously today to set limits on the energy consumption of televisions.

The new TV efficiency standards, which go into effect on Jan. 1, 2011, limit power draw to a certain number of watts based on the total screen area. The bigger the screen, the more power it is allowed to consume. An even tighter standard will go into effect Jan. 1, 2013.

The standards apply only to new televisions sold within California. What’s more, they only apply to TV sets with 1,400 or fewer square inches (equivalent to a 58-inch diagonal screen). In other words, if you still want to buy that 1,700-watt, 150-inch plasma, go right ahead, Mr. Rich Dude! It’ll go very nicely with the polar bear rug in your den.

According to proponents, the standards will not significantly increase the sales price of TVs, and will save the average household $30 per year per TV set, for statewide savings of $8.1 billion per year. Yes, California apparently is home to 27 million TVs.

Despite that, some consumer electronics groups opposed the ban, saying it would increase costs and reduce selection.

As with emissions regulations for cars, the TV standards set by California should have a wide-ranging impact, because the state is such a big market that manufacturers are likely to make all of their products (at least the ones intended for a U.S. market) comply with the California regulations.

Photo: Panasonic’s 150-inch plasma HDTV, shown at CES 2008. By Dylan Tweney/Wired.com

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 18 Nov 2009 | 2:37 pm

Black Friday 2009: Walmart’s video game sale items revealed

FROM GAMERTELL - The Walmart Black Friday 2009 ad is out! Get a DS lite for $98. Get an eMachine laptop for $198. Get a Sansui 19” HDTV for $128. Xbox 360 Arcade Madagascar bundle with 1 game and 2 movies $199.  120gb PS3 with 2 games and 1 movie $299.
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Source: Gadgetell | 18 Nov 2009 | 2:30 pm

Fedora 12 Lets Users Install Signed Packages, Sans Root Privileges

eqisow writes "The new default policy for Fedora 12 allows local, unprivileged users to install signed packages without root access. This change apparently went mostly unnoticed until after the Fedora 12 GA release, at which point it sparked a mailing list thread that is, as of this writing, over 100 posts long."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 18 Nov 2009 | 2:30 pm

PA Banking Department Warns Consumers About Apparent Internet Loan Scam

HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Banking is warning consumers about an apparent Internet loan scam by Cedarwood Equity Group. The company solicits personal and home loans.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 18 Nov 2009 | 2:15 pm

Scientists Unravel Evolution of Highly Toxic Box Jellyfish

From the Northeast Fisheries Science Center: With thousands of stinging cells that can emit deadly venom from tentacles that can reach ten feet in length, the 50 or so species of box jellyfish have long been of interest to scientists ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 18 Nov 2009 | 2:14 pm

Amazon now offering the Palm Pixi for just $24.99

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile

So much for having to head in to Walmart to score a low priced Palm Pixi because Amazon now has an offer of their own. For a limited time, well actually until November 23 customers can get a Palm Pixi for just $24.99. Which means you can save yourself five bucks, but better still, you can do so from the comfort of your own home.

Of course, there are a few catches with that price, but honestly would you expect otherwise. First, like I mentioned that offer is for a limited time only. But more importantly, you will have to agree to and sign a two year commitment with Sprint.

With price drops like this, it seems like it is just a matter of time before the Pixi becomes free on contract. Still $24.99 is not all that bad.

Product [Amazon]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 18 Nov 2009 | 2:06 pm

New Down Syndrome Treatment Suggested By Stanford/Packard Study In Mice

At birth, children with Down syndrome aren't developmentally delayed. But as they age, these kids fall behind.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 18 Nov 2009 | 1:51 pm

Cognitive Dysfunction Reversed In Mouse Model Of Down Syndrome

A study by neuroscientist William C.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 18 Nov 2009 | 1:49 pm

When a DNA Testing Firm Goes Bankrupt, Who Gets the Data?

wiedzmin writes "DeCODE Genetics, a genetics research firm from Iceland, has filed for bankruptcy in the US, and Saga Investments, a US venture capital firm, has already put in a bid to buy deCODE’s operations, raising privacy concerns about the fate of customer DNA samples and records. The company hasn’t disclosed how many clients signed up for its service, but provides a number of customer testimonials on its site, including Dorrit Mousaieff, Iceland’s first lady."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 18 Nov 2009 | 1:42 pm

‘Rogue’ Smartphones Could Pose Security Threats

Smartphones could someday be a major target for criminals seeking to attack major wireless networks, warned Research in Motion’s vice president of BlackBerry security.Scott Totzke said that hackers could convert the smartphones into "rogue" devices that target wireless carriers in something known as a distributed denial of service, or a DDOS attack.The technique involves hackers using phone signals to order tens of thousands of computers to repeatedly contact a targeted site, slowing or ultimately causing the site to crash.The tactic is similar to the one used in attacks that slowed Internet traffic in the U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 18 Nov 2009 | 1:35 pm

Sea Creature Sighting Explained

Sea monsters sightings are centuries old, but a new claim and video has Florida residents concerned about this latest sea creature. Madeira Beach resident Russ Sittlow claims his Florida canal is home to a creature that’s now being labeled "Normandy ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 18 Nov 2009 | 1:34 pm

Texas A&M Researchers Examine How Viruses Destroy Bacteria

Viruses are well known for attacking humans and animals, but some viruses instead attack bacteria.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 18 Nov 2009 | 1:30 pm

Developing 'Green' Tires That Boost Mileage And Cut Carbon Dioxide Emissions

A new generation of "green" automobile tires that can boost fuel efficiency without sacrificing safety and durability is rolling their way through the research pipeline. The new tires could help add an extra mile or two per gallon to a car's fuel economy.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 18 Nov 2009 | 1:28 pm

Research Challenges For Understanding Landscape Changes Identified

Nine research challenges and four research initiatives that are poised to advance the study of how Earth's landscapes change were unveiled today in a new report by the National Research Council.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 18 Nov 2009 | 1:25 pm

GEN Reports On Enhancing The Applications Of QPCR

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technology is experiencing a surge of interest and rapid expansion as a result of advances such as instrumentation that pushes capacity to 1,536 wells and optimization-free multiplexing, reports Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN).
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 18 Nov 2009 | 1:18 pm

Migration Of Key Employees To Competitors Hinders Organizational Success

Strategic advantage of the organization's routines does not offset 'brain drain'A study by researchers from the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University (OSU) explored the competitive advantage organizations gain when hiring key employees away from a competitor.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 18 Nov 2009 | 1:16 pm

Plants Have a Social Life, Too

New research suggests that plants, like animals, can recognize related plants and treat them better.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 18 Nov 2009 | 1:16 pm

MIT: Better Way To Harness Waste Heat

New MIT research points the way to a technology that might make it possible to harvest much of the wasted heat produced by everything from computer processor chips to car engines to electric powerplants, and turn it into usable electricity.More than half of the energy consumed worldwide is wasted, most of it in the form of excess heat.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 18 Nov 2009 | 1:14 pm

What’s Eating The Breadwinners?

New study gives snapshot of female breadwinners’ thoughts, feelings and experiencesControl, independence, ambition, pressure, worry, guilt and resentment are all experienced by female breadwinners, according to Dr.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 18 Nov 2009 | 1:10 pm

Shuttle Atlantis Docks With Space Station

Atlantis arrived at its intended destination Wednesday, carrying much needed cargo to the space station.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 18 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pm

Bizarre Droid Auto-Focus Bug Revealed

itwbennett writes "Pity the poor engineer who had to find this one. One of the more interesting of the handful of bugs that have appeared since the launch of Verizon's Droid smartphone has to do with the on-board camera's auto-focus. Apparently it just didn't work. And then suddenly it did. Naturally, this off-again, on-again made the theories fly. But the real reason for the bug was revealed in a comment on an Engadget post by someone claiming to be Google engineer Dan Morrill: 'There's a rounding-error bug in the camera driver's autofocus routine (which uses a timestamp) that causes autofocus to behave poorly on a 24.5-day cycle,' said Morrill. 'That is, it'll work for 24.5 days, then have poor performance for 24.5 days, then work again. The 17th is the start of a new 'works correctly' cycle, so the devices will be fine for a while. A permanent fix is in the works.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 18 Nov 2009 | 12:59 pm

Gravity, water, cold - Casio’s toughest camera ever laughs at them

Section: Imaging, Digital Cameras

Drop it from seven feet up, keep it under water for 60 minutes, let water freeze next to it; the new 12.1mp Casio Exilim G EX-G1 laughs it off.  Dusting off the Exilim rectangle look, this new design is one of many that will fill in the adventure series says Casio.  Available this December for $299, I expect to see this camera on a bunch of wish lists.

This new Casio is just .78” thick, keeping it in the slender category.  I am already appreciating the groove in the front to help with one hand operation while the large and well-spaced buttons on the back look perfect for gloved operation, nice when you are on the slopes.  There is even an underwater bestshot setting, sweet.

One of my favorite features of the Exilim cameras is the super-easy instant video capture button.  You can always find it, as they mark it red and you can see it on the G1 meaning videos are a snap.  The camera even has a interval mode that will take stills or movies at predetermined intervals which would be handy when you are bombing down a ski run or on the trail.

Product site: [Exilim]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 18 Nov 2009 | 12:56 pm

Smartphones to overtake non-smarties in 2015

Really? Who could have guessed? I’m not an official big-shot analyst by any stretch, but I’m pretty sure that I could have made the same conclusion, as could anyone who knows anything about technology trends (like spoiled teenagers). But alas, an actual organization, Telecom Trends International (who?), has just released a report saying that smartphones will indeed overtake “regular” phones by 2015. Gotta love these glimpses into the future.

This report, which includes 27 figures and 19 tables (for the record), says that sales of smartphones surpass “regular” phones in 2015 and will constitute two-thirds of total mobile handset sales by 2016. The thing is, how do we even know what will separate (if there is still even a distinction) “smart” phones from “non-smart” phones some five years ahead of time? Sure, in today’s world of smart and dumb phones, we analysts can make predictions of this sort. But these type of prognostications tend to leave a bad taste in my technology-loving mouth.

The thing with mobile phones, and technology in general, is that they are forever changing/morphing/evolving. Predicting that smartphones will overtake “regular” phones in 2015 is no different than me saying, “tablets will surpass ‘traditional’ laptops in 2012″ – both are purely nonsense. While maybe while maybe factually accurate (in today’s world), these types of reports and findings seem to assume that the world can’t possibly change over the course of five years. A ridiculous notion, given the insane exponential curve of Internet/computer technology enhancements over the last 25 years.

With all this in mind, I am going to go out on a limb and prophesize* that by 2015 all handsets on the market will be considered “smart” phones by today’s standards. In other words, given the rapid development of next-gen networks and handsets, 99% of all mobile devices by 2015 will not fit in any of today’s “categories” as all mobile phones will have crossed the “smart” threshold by that time, thus making reports like this meaningless.

Crunch Network: CrunchBase the free database of technology companies, people, and investors

Source: MobileCrunch | 18 Nov 2009 | 12:55 pm

The Palm Pixi really wants to be a Pre

Don’t worry. This won’t be another post on the merits/shortcomings of the Pixi and whether such a handset is worthwhile as its older, more capable brother, the Pre, plummets in price. Other sites have done that to death.

I just wanted to point out that, regardless of how anyone feels about the handset, even the Pixi wants to be a Pre. Check out this picture, taken right from a fresh-out-of-the-box Pixi.

If I had to guess, I’d say one of the coders switched the firmware to read “Pre” during testing to ensure that no one at Palm accidentally confirmed the Pixi’s existence before it was intended, and then forgot to change it back. Or, you know, it never read “Pixi” and they just forgot to change it in the first place.

[Via Peter Ha, who often mistakes himself for a blogger]

Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.

Source: MobileCrunch | 18 Nov 2009 | 12:44 pm

Is Hepatic Differentiation Of Embryonic Stem Cells Induced By Valproic Acid And Cytokines?

Embryonic stem (ES) cells, known for their capacity to proliferate indefinitely and differentiate into almost all types of cells including hepatocytes, have raised the hope of cellular replacement therapy for liver failure.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 18 Nov 2009 | 12:39 pm

History of Apple [video]

FROM APPLETELL - There’s plenty of nostalgia to be found here. Sure, there’s “1984,” but how can you not love seeing those spinning, candy-like iMacs again? Even “Myst” makes a cameo.
MORE »

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Source: Gadgetell | 18 Nov 2009 | 12:34 pm

10 DC Comics Characters Deserving a Mass Makeover

An upcoming contest invites fanboys and professional animators alike to reinvent superheroes and criminal masterminds for the upcoming DC Universe Online game. Here are the characters most in need of a crowdsourced upgrade.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 18 Nov 2009 | 12:27 pm

Control your Benz with an iPhone or BlackBerry app

Hughes Telematics has created an app, mbrace, that will give lucky owners of certain Mercedes-Benz models the ability to control numerous functions of their car. Say your Benz is lost in a parking lot full of BMWs and Jags, the app can help you find your way. You can even unlock the car right from your phone, although you should probably wait until you're within eyesight to do so. The app can also contract roadside assistance or emergency services if you run out of gas or get into an accident. But there's a catch; it's not included in the price of the car.

Source: MobileCrunch | 18 Nov 2009 | 12:25 pm

Google to Demonstrate Chrome OS in Thursday Event

Google plans to host an event on Thursday morning to provide an overview of Chrome OS, its upcoming PC operating system.

Google announced Chrome OS in July, 2009 without disclosing many details about the operating system. What’s known is that Chrome will be a lightweight, open-source, Linux-based OS with a strong focus on web surfing using the Google Chrome browser. Applications will run mostly inside the browser, which in effect turns the web into the platform. The Chrome OS will initially be targeted at netbooks — low-powered, miniature notebooks, Google said in July.

Still, we have yet to see any official visuals of the OS, and thus far the media has only speculated about Chrome’s potential. Google has said Thursday’s event will give a “complete overview” of the OS with technical background and demonstrations.

Some questions to ponder on before Thursday’s event:

• Will Google indeed proceed with plans to target the Chrome OS at netbooks? Compared to 2008, this year’s netbook shipments are slowing down, and the miniature devices are proving to be a recession-driven fad. Why target the OS at a played-out product category?
• What apps does Google have in store to launch with the OS? The success of a platform’s launch, after all, is largely determined by its initial software offerings.
• Will all apps be web-based, or will the OS support native programs as well? Apple’s first-generation iPhone supported web-based apps, and the company was roundly criticized for not providing access to the device’s native APIs until a year later.
• When can we have the OS? Since Chrome is open source, we can expect that having the OS will be as easy as downloading and installing it onto our PCs. Google hasn’t provided a time frame of when we can expect the OS, but hopefully Thursday will provide an official launch date.

Have any more questions? Post them in the comments below. Wired.com will be attending the event to try to get your questions answered.

Via TechCrunch

See Also:

• Five Things Google’s Chrome OS Will Do for Your Netbook
• Google Announces PC Operating System to Compete with Windows …
• Faked Screenshots Show Google Chrome Frenzy
• Google FAQ Reveals Chrome OS Hardware Partners

Photo illustration: Charlie Sorrel/Wired.com; Original photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 18 Nov 2009 | 12:16 pm

Fidel Castro, Dead?

Today, the Internet was buzzing with the rumor that Fidel Castro, known as "El Presidente" in Cuba until 2008, when he ceded control to his brother Raul, has died. False reports of Castro's death have been circulating for years, especially ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 18 Nov 2009 | 12:09 pm

Mummy Scans Show Heart Disease Was Rampant

The CT scans of 22 Egyptian mummies shows arterial disease similar to that seen in people today was surprisingly common.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm

Nokia N900 now available in the US

We’ve got news, both good and bad. What do you want first? We’ll start with the bad news first. It’s easier that way, you know?

Bad news: We were supposed to have an N900 review — or at least a first look — up by now. Nokia assures us a review unit has been sent, but it’s M.I.A. As we see it, there are only a two options: it either got stolen by bears, or Nokia’s messing with us because we totally owned the N900 story way back in May.

Good news: We may not have one yet, but you can get one! It’s available immediately at either of Nokia’s flagship stores (located in New York and Chicago), or NokiaUSA.com (though the site seems to only offer pre-orders, at the moment). It’ll set you back a hefty $650 – and while we can’t say its worth it before we give it the customary run-through, it’s definitely worth stopping by a store to check it out.

Crunch Network: TechCrunch obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies

Source: MobileCrunch | 18 Nov 2009 | 11:53 am

No Free Netbook With 2-Year Contract, Says AT&T

AT&T would like to sell you a computer to go along with your phone.

But don’t look for any really good deals. The carrier will be selling netbooks on contract, but the purchase price will remain close to what you’d pay for a netbook without a contract.

Unlike in Europe, where some netbooks are nearly free with data plans, AT&T says it does not intend to fully subsidize netbooks in the United States. Instead, it will introduce session-based prices, day-pass and weekly data-access plans for customers who prefer to buy their netbooks at full price. At the same time, it will continue partially subsidizing netbooks when combined with a two-year wireless-data contract.

“We want to give customers a choice in how they use their netbook,” says Glenn Lurie, president of AT&T emerging devices. “But free netbooks from AT&T on contract is not part of the plan.”

Netbooks have become one of the fastest-growing categories in the PC industry. They are largely used for social networking, surfing the internet and checking e-mail, so telecom carriers such as AT&T bet they can piggyback on netbooks to attract more customers to their data plans. AT&T, for instance, is offering netbooks with two-year data contracts, similar to how it sells cellphones.

Currently AT&T offers netbooks such as the newly launched Nokia Booklet 3G, Samsung GoTM Netbook and Acer Aspire One.

It’s a strategy that has worked in Europe. In Germany, for instance, T-Mobile launched the Acer netbook for 1 euro plus a 35-euro-a-month, two-year data contract.

But U.S. consumers are unlikely to find such deals. Take the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 that AT&T offers for $150 with a two-year contract. Customers can pay $35 a month for 200 MB or $60 a month for a 5-GB data limit. That means a total cost of ownership of $990 to $1,590 over two years. By contrast, you can buy the same netbook without a data contract for $450 on Dell’s website.

That comparison may not entirely be accurate, says Lurie. “This is not just about having a computer, it’s about having a mobile computing device,” he says.

For instance, subscribers who pay $35 a month or $60 a month on a two-year contract will also get free access to AT&T’s 20,000 Wi-Fi hotspots nationwide.

That’s a deal that daily or weekly pass customers won’t have, says Lurie.

See Also:

• The Netbook Effect: How Cheap Little Laptops Hit the Big Time
• Nokia Reveals Netbook Pricing, Introduces New Handsets
• AT&T Offers Netbooks With Small Subsidy, Fat Contract
• The Next Netbook Trend: Cellphone-Like Contract Deals
  

Photo: Dell netbook Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 18 Nov 2009 | 11:19 am

AT&T: No Free Netbook With 2-Year Contract

Unlike in Europe, where netbooks are free with a two-year data plan, AT&T says it has no plans to fully subsidize netbooks in the United States. Instead, it will offer greater flexibility in data plans for netbook users.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 18 Nov 2009 | 11:19 am

Saving the Ocean With Robots

Figuring out where to designate marine protected areas so fish populations can bounce back sounds simple. Heck, we just found water on the moon! But it's no easy task, which is why we're going to need water-ready robots. In California, ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 18 Nov 2009 | 11:18 am

The Google Phone May Be Data Only, VoIP Driven Device

Yesterday we wrote about the soon to launch Google Phone, a Google branded Android phone that we believe will hit the market in early 2010.

Lots of people are saying there’s no way Google will enter the phone market directly and compete with all these handset manufacturers who have bet on Android. Daring Fireball, PC World and InfoMobile are among the doubters. And a lot of people are pointing to a Tom Krazit/CNET article last month that quoted Google’s Andy Rubin: “We’re not making hardware…We’re enabling other people to build hardware,” and “Rubin, vice president of engineering for Android at Google, scoffed at the notion that the company would “compete with its customers” by releasing its own phone.”

Normally I’d just point to the fact that many companies deny the existence of products until the day they announce them. Apple scoffed at the notion that they’d ever build a phone until they announced the iPhone, for example. The last thing Google wants is a lot of confusion among handset manufacturers just when those manufacturers are putting the finishing touches on their own Android phones.

But there may be another way Google will argue that they aren’t “competing with customers” by launching their own device – technically, it may not be a phone.

The Google Phone may be a data only, VoIP driven device. And Google may be lining up at least AT&T to provide those data services for the Google Phone, says one person we spoke with today.

Users could still make calls just like a normal phone, of course. The calls would just be over the data service instead. In fact, this is the exact vision Google proposed back in 2007 when they were bidding on the FCC auctions for the 700MHz spectrum.

Google can even issue phone numbers to users via Google Voice. In fact, I’ve already ported my mobile number to Google Voice, and Google has plans to roll out that feature more broadly.

Are AT&T and the other carriers interested? Our source says AT&T is already bidding for the business, and may be willing to sell data to Google, with certain conditions, for $20/month. The carriers won’t love this, at all. But they’d be dumb to let their competitors take the business instead.

Our sources at AT&T have confirmed that they’ll sell data-only plans to customers who bring in BlackBerry and Windows devices, and strip out the voice plan. They won’t do this with all devices – you can’t get a data only plan on the iPhone, for example. But AT&T is open to data-only customer relationships.

Will the Google Phone be data/VoIP only? Right now we only have one thin source for this. But we’re continuing to dig.

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Source: MobileCrunch | 18 Nov 2009 | 11:14 am

Ancient Mummies Show Signs of Heart Disease

Have archaeologists uncovered the real curse of the mummies?
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 18 Nov 2009 | 10:29 am

iPhone gets official government approval in South Korea

A little while back, we wrote about the Korea Communications Commission’s decision to make an exception for the iPhone, essentially clearing the way for Apple to submit the phone for radio approval (a la FCC procedures in the States). Now, two months later, the KCC has officially approved Apple’s iPhone for sale in South Korea.

No doubt, this is a shining example of the impact of the KCC’s decision late last year to allow foreign handset manufacturers to sell mobile phones in South Korea after April 1, 2009 without Wireless Internet Platform for Interoperability (WIPI) technology built-in.

Anyhoo, the KCC’s ruling says that the iPhone can now be launched at any time. Thus, it makes sense that two of the biggest mobile carriers in South Korea, KT Corp. and SK Telecom Co., have already been talking to Apple about selling its flagship mobile phone. Not surprisingly, neither of the carriers, nor Apple, has made any mention of if or when it might begin to sell the biggest mobile thing since wireless sliced bread. Either way, Samsung and LG must be really excited about the news.

Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.

Source: MobileCrunch | 18 Nov 2009 | 10:23 am

Jurassic Dinosaur Bones Inaccessible Due to Safety Issues

The Dinosaur National Monument Quarry Visitor Center remains closed due to safety concerns, preventing paleontologists and other interested individuals from seeing one of the United State's largest and best quarry of dinosaur bones from the Jurassic period. Around 1,500 dinosaur ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 18 Nov 2009 | 10:03 am

Darwin's Handwritten Manuscripts and Notes Digitized

Most of us have read the works of Charles Darwin, but it's a powerful, more personal experience to see them in his own handwriting. Be sure to check out the Darwin Manuscripts Project site, mentioned in the following American Museum ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 18 Nov 2009 | 9:18 am

Hands-On With The Orbis Ring Flash Adapter

In our recent ring flash roundup, Wired.com photographer Jon Snyder took a combination of self-powered units and adapters through their paces. Soon after, the folks at Orbis got in touch, wondering why we had left their flash-adapter out. I told them to send one over.

The best part about a ring-flash adapter, like the Orbis or the Ray Flash that Jon reviewed, is that you just pop in your existing strobe and its light is reflected around a series of tubes to emerge in the trademark circle of flat light. This keeps down both cost and weight, and means that you can use your fancy, expensive speedlight on full auto, making great pictures easy to get.

It also means that the adapters are huge. Baseball-mitt huge. The Orbis isn’t going to fit in any normal sized camera bag. The reason is that the hollow tubes need to be a lot wider than an actual light-tube, otherwise they would just suck up the light and offer no more sparkle than a candle behind a dirty window. The Orbis, though, takes advantage of this bulk by keeping the neck - where the flash slides in - big too. My tests were all performed with a Nikon SB900, a (literal) giant amongst strobes, and while the fit was snug, it was certainly viable. For smaller units, there are some stick-on rubber pads in the box.

I slid in the flash, switched it on and… Damn, I didn’t have a cable. Because of the design, the flash unit can’t be mounted on the camera’s hot-shoe, so you’ll need a cable to fire it. This can be a very expensive cable that also sends all the automatic functions between the devices, or a cheap PC cord. I wanted auto, but I didn’t want to spend $60 on a wire. Surely I could use the built-in wireless functions of my flash and camera?

It turns out that I was in luck. The Nikon D700 talks to the SB900 through a series of quick, coded pre-flashes from its built-in speedlight. Even with the gun held up and to the side of the camera body, the flash fired fine, every single time.

The Orbis itself does suck out some light, but as ring flashes are used on-axis and pointed straight at the subject without using diffusors or reflectors, there was plenty of light left to do the job. I have used it on a few product shots over the last few weeks (the Surly bike wrench and the Brooks saddle, for instance) and I love it. Combined with the camera’s automatic mode it’s easy to dial the effect up and down, and once you get going, you learn to hold the unit and let it take the weight of the camera. It’s still bulky, and there is an optional bracket to clamp it to your camera, but you can get used to it.

And that’s really it. If you want to experiment with ring-flash, and you already have a strobe, this is a fairly cheap way to do it — $200 might not sound so cheap, but when you start pricing up the alternatives, you’ll see what we mean.

Will I buy one? I love the effect, and the Orbis is easy to use. But now I have the taste for it, I’d actually consider some of those more expensive dedicated units. They might not work on full-auto, but they will fit in my camera bag.

Orbis product page [Orbis]

Roundup: Ring Flashes [Gadget Lab]

See Also:

• Orbis Finally Adds Bracket to Ring Flash Adapter
• Lomo Ring Flash: Cheap and Fun
• Ray Flash Ring Flash Adapter
• Raid the Kitchen to Build a DIY Ring Flash

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 18 Nov 2009 | 8:52 am

Verizon Accused of Remote-Controlling Droid, But Truth Is Stranger

A rather odd bug in the Droid phone has been mistaken for a secret, silent, over the air invasion by Verizon’s software update police.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 18 Nov 2009 | 7:29 am

The One-Dollar iPod Keychain Hack

When not puffing on his pipe, petting his sociopathic parakeet or growing a rather creepy-looking mustache, gadget blogger and ex-Wired.com writer John Brownlee likes to tinker. This morning he sent over some pictures of his latest, a $1 keychain for the iPod Shuffle.

Brownlee chose the previous (and many say superior) generation Shuffle with the clip and buttons, but it would work with any tiny MP3 player that has a jack socket. All you do is take an old pair of headphones (Brownlee bought a pair of junky earbuds from his local Berlin dime - or Euro cent - store), chop off the jack, leaving a big enough length of cable to tie a secure knot and affix it to a keyring. In the picture above, you see the keychain jack disconnected and set behind the iPod. Of course, you’ll need to keep a working pair of headphones for actual listening, and you won’t be able to leave the player on the keychain while you’re doing it (but then, that’s what the Shuffle’s clip is for).

Brownlee went one step further, and after trimming the excess cable he took a break from his pipe-smoking and used the lighter to melt the knot, sealing the connection permanently in plastic. It’s certainly not the prettiest hack, but it is undeniably ingenious, and a great way to keep the Shuffle and your keychain together in your pocket. We’re a little worried about scratches to the anodized aluminum body of the iPod, but as there is no screen, this would be purely a cosmetic problem.

UPDATE: Brownlee informs me that the Apple ‘buds wrapped around the iPod provide ample protection against scratches, and that the Shuffle’s jack socket is a very snug fit: “After a week, it hasn’t popped off once” he tells us.

We’re also happy that the picture includes Brownlee’s rather excellent Snowy-in-a-spacesuit figurine, the companion of which (Tin Tin in detective overcoat) apparently resides on his better-half’s keyring.

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 18 Nov 2009 | 7:11 am

Grace: An Electric Motorcycle Disguised as a Bike

Let’s get one thing straight: Grace is not an electric bicycle. Grace is, instead, the “world’s first legal street E-motorbike.” But whatever it is, its fast.

The Li-ion battery powered bike can hit 45km/h (28mph), powered by a 1.3KW motor (this is actually limited by law — some hacking will get you up to 65km/h, or 40mph), and it will run for an average of 25 miles before needing a recharge. To stop you again, the stiff aluminum bike is equipped with disk brakes front and rear.

But where are these extra parts? The batteries are actually inside the frame, and the engine inside the rear hub, hooked directly to the axle (you can pick one of two motors, one for speeding on the flats and one for powering you up hills). This stealthy appearance is essential to the Grace being called an E-motorbike. Why? The blurb:

E-motorbikes can go as fast as e-scooters or smaller e-motorcycles, but in contrast to these two categories they are much smaller and lighter and can be taken into trains, cars or even aircraft without a bigger effort.

That’s the trick: You can tear around town at the speed of a small scooter (or at least at the speed limit) and at the same time ride on the sidewalk, sneak through red lights and park anywhere you like. That will seem like a great idea to some, and a terrible idea to others (like me). The barrier to entry is thankfully set pretty high, though: the Grace, hand-built in Berlin, will cost you €5877, or a few dollars short of $8,800. That’s enough to buy a scooter and a pushbike, with money left over, although unlike a moped it will only cost $1.40 per 100 miles to run.

I certainly don’t want to buy one, but I’d love to take one out for a spin.

Product page [Grace via Giz]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 18 Nov 2009 | 6:16 am

Video: Bomb-Proof Kevlar Wallpaper Stronger Than Wall Itself

You have a few rolls of supposedly bomb-proof wallpaper, so how do you test it out without getting a visit from Homeland Security? You paste it up and break out a wrecking-ball, of course. That’s what the folks at Popular Science did to test out X-FLEX, a reinforced wall-covering made from a Kevlar-like material.

X-FLEX is a a Kevlar-like composite sandwiched between polymer sheets. You peel off the back, stick it to the wall and, if you are extra sensible, you let it run over to the floor and ceiling where it should be further secured by nailing it down. When a bomb-blast (or giant metal ball) smashes into the brickwork, the wallpaper holds it in place, keeping the wall intact and preventing it from becoming shrapnel. It’s kind of like taping your windows to stop them from shattering, only a whole lot beefier.

Oddly enough, the video on the X-FLEX site of the wallpaper absorbing an actual bomb-blast is not nearly as spectacular or as entertaining as the Pop-Sci video (it is also non-embeddable, which is why you don’t see it here). The material is clearly made with military uses in mind, but we’re thinking of putting some of this up outside the Wired.com video-gaming room — things can get pretty nasty in there, especially when we (inevitably) thrash the guys from Wired mag.

Product page [X-FLEX via Oh Gizmo!]

X-Flex Blast Protection System [Pop-Sci]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 18 Nov 2009 | 5:26 am

Verizon Accused of Remote-Controlling Droid, But Truth Is Stranger

A rather odd bug in the Droid phone has been mistaken for a secret, silent, over-the-air invasion by Verizon’s software-update police.

When a problem with the Droid’s autofocus mysteriously disappeared overnight, paranoid Droid owners assumed that a secret update had been sent over the air to fix it. This would be rather creepy.

It is also wrong. In a comment on an Engadget story about the mystery fix, Android developer Dan Morrill explained what had happened, and the truth is rather stranger than the fiction.

There’s a rounding-error bug in the camera driver’s autofocus routine (which uses a time stamp) that causes autofocus to behave poorly on a 24.5-day cycle. That is, it’ll work for 24.5 days, then have poor performance for 24.5 days, then work again.

The 17th is the start of a new “works correctly” cycle, so the devices will be fine for a while. A permanent fix is in the works.

Not only is the bug itself an odd one, so is the lack of an internet hissy-fit about the imagined reach of Verizon. This is exactly the kind of thing that sends blogs and Twitter into a frothing frenzy, yet the net has remained mostly quiet.

As Daring Fireball’s John Gruber points out, imagine if this had been Apple suspected of reaching into the iPhone from afar:

Am I the only one who thinks that if Apple issued an over-the-air iPhone software update — no notice, no confirmation — that it would generate a Category 5 shit storm?

If you want to try this, set your Droid’s clock back a few days and experience the thrill of a non-focusing camera for yourself.

Motorola Droid camera autofocus fixed in secrecy? [Engadget]

Camera Fixed! [Android Forums]

Silent Over-the-Air Software Update Fixes Droid Camera Bug? [★]

Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired.com

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 18 Nov 2009 | 4:39 am

Sharp to go Android next year as first Japanese cell phone maker

Android is still in its infancy in Japan where most domestic makers still stick with their proprietary operating systems, with basically no one outside the geek community knowing what it is. But things are changing slowly. Last week, SoftBank (the country’s third biggest cell phone carrier) announced an Android-powered phone for next year when the company announced their new models for the next months.

And yesterday, Sharp announced at an event in Tokyo it will roll out a yet to be specified number of Android-based handsets as early as the first half of next year. Sharp commands the biggest market share of all eight cell phone makers in Japan so this is very good news for the Google OS in what is the most advanced mobile society in the world.

The company didn’t reveal which of the three big carriers in Japan will be supplied with the Android handsets, but said they will offer models with features unique to the Japanese market. One of these features might be a tuner for 1seg, a digital TV standard used in Japan and some parts of South America. Other possibilities include Japan-specific e-wallet or electronic train ticket functions.

Via Keitai Watch [JP]

Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it’s time for you to find a new Job2.0

Source: MobileCrunch | 18 Nov 2009 | 4:33 am

Whole Lotta Love: B&W Zeppelin Computer Speakers

Note to PC speaker makers: don’t force me to use yet another USB port when I have a perfectly good headphone socket on my notebook. I know that some audio-outs (and their preceding circuitry) are junk, but if I’m paying $500 for a pair of your computer speakers, it’s likely I have a fairly decent computer to hook them up to.

Ok, rant over, and apart from sucking up a USB port to feed the music directly into their own digital/analog converter, the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin MM-1 looks to be a rather sweet speaker. The Zeppelins are actually a pair of shrunken hi-fi speakers instead of the more common sub-and-satellite setup, which means you get “the full spectrum of frequencies”. B&W (now you recognize the brand, right?) has also tweaked the circuitry to turn these into near-field monitor speakers, which means they sound better close-up like studio monitors, instead of from a distance like most hi-fi speakers.

B&W has also incorporated its “Nautilus tweeter”, which is not an underwater Twitter poster but a cone-shaped tube behind the tweeter taken from its iconic shell-shaped speaker of the same name. This, according to B&W, “dampens resonance and produces purer high frequency sounds.”

We’re not sure that the average listener could tell the difference, seeing as we pump compressed MP3s out of our computers, but if nothing else they’ll look good on your desktop. And they even have a 3.5mm input jack, for whiners like me. Due February 2010.

Zeppelin product page [B&W]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 18 Nov 2009 | 3:44 am